A few of my favorite things(Just some random fun)

I decided since it's the beginning of February that I should do a little cleaning of my studio space, air it out a bit and just clean the tornado that decided to rampage my room.
 I then decided I wanted to take some pictures of some of my favorite things I got not too long ago, perhaps to kill a bit of time and make cleaning just a bit fun.

First lets start with my cappuccino, I don't drink coffee...well I USED to not drink coffee...regular coffee no, but after my trip to Europe I couldn't help but fall in love with it, I don't drink it that often but when I do...YUM!!!

                                 
Just like the Cappuccino, this is not art related but FUN! I have been eyeing these shoes for a year but could not justify spending lots of money on them(I really don't care for shoes, I buy what I need). One day I went in and they were on sale:) they do have my name all over them, I have some weird love for things that remind me of ugly couches.

This here is a double favorite! I already said that I don't care for shoes...well same goes for jewellery...who knew this year was going to teach me something I didn't really know about myself:) I DO like shoes and jewellery! my inner girl as stepped up...I can't say my husband approves lol!.
Trollbeads- I adore them!!! who knew!! they are cute and fun to collect:) not to mention wear:).
Then there is my calligraphy pen and ink bottle that I got when I went to Venice last year. LOVE!!!! and the ink bottle is sooo gorgeous, it's nice to know I will be able to keep refilling it and use it over and over...not to mention my Trollbeads look so pretty on it.

Okay, of course there is my paint boxes I have 8 lovelies all together and I'm not going to lie, there will be more!(I have an addiction lol). here's my newest Schmincke which will stay in the studio and my smaller Schmincke(not pictured) will travel everywhere with me. The other is my paintbox filled with my favorite non Schmincke paints such as Daniel Smith and Winsor and Newton and M.Graham paints FUN!

Now I got this set for Christmas this year(lucky gal I know) and I love everything about it!!! usually, I only see student sets but it was nice that they made a Winsor and Newton Artist set! I love it and I love the paints, though I have to get used to painting with acrylics again:). Comes with so much!!!

                                                               DROOL....:)

Now comes my cleaned(well as clean as I wanted to be) Studio. There is still snow out there though we are having the weirdest weather of snow then rain, cold then warm temps. So odd.
Anyways, I took two photos, both looking different because of the lighting change coming from my windows.

                                                     Bright:)

                                  Not so bright, though in the Studio I get tons of beautiful natural light.

Now that my Studio is clean I can get back to working...though I just finished one of my paintings yesterday:). I've got to fix the colours to look like the original...I have no idea how to do this on Photoshop and will have to learn somehow, still, I might post it soon because I hate keeping paintings from you all:).

Happy February!
                                         

Hello New Beginnings

                                              A view from my studio window...so peaceful.

2012, what can I say, it seems like it's going to be a fantastic year!. I don't now why I always feel this way, but I always feel like I'm starting fresh again, a new beginning. I'm looking forward to the new year and what it holds for me.

What I'm currently working on now, and yes, they are both the same picture. the original is the small 5X7. I started her in acrylics...YIKES!!! I'm not sure how much I'm liking her, but I will be finishing her in oils, since it's a new year I figured why not give some other mediums a go...I've never used oils before so this will be a bit of a challenge. As for Acrylics, well, I started with those, I used to paint portraits with them, though I have to admit, I'm out of practice...practice makes perfect though. the larger piece is watercolour, my love:) I made a bigger version of her to paint to see the difference from watercolour and oils...I'm interested to see what I(and all of you) like best. fingers crossed, who knows maybe I will find a new love in oil paints.

My new watercolours which I got in Austria!:D!!!!!
Yeah, I know, I have a smaller Schmincke box here...but really, they are my favorite paints in the world!. I wanted the larger paint box for my studio(which is where it will stay) as for the smaller paint box, that will come with me on trips(which I will be doing more of this year). One day I promise you I will post a picture of all my painting mediums:), I love seeing other artists studios and their paints so I will show mine to you all one day too! maybe when it gets warmer here.
I've already opened them and started painting with it, what a beautiful colourful mess I'm making!
I'm so happy to get mine and in pans(something not easily found in North America but everywhere in Europe) regardless if you use pans or tubes(both in my opinion are fantastic) what are your favourite paints?
Mine are obviously Schmincke, then I would have to say Daniel Smith(those gorgeous colours they have!).

I'm off to paint some more...wish me luck with the oils and of course any tips are always appreciated:) fat over lean...fat over lean;)

Noel

Noel,
8X10, Watercolour, coloured pencil on Stonehenge paper.

Wishing you all a Magical Christmas and Happy New Year!

Where has the time gone?

Christmas is almost here! can you believe it?! Where has the time gone?.
I've been home for almost a month now since my trip to Europe(which was just fantastic and very much needed). I just wasn't expecting to be SO busy upon getting back home, crazy!. 
I'm currently trying to get a Christmas painting done and maybe some mushroom ornaments:). hopefully once I get a bit caught up I can start paying more attention to my blog:) that would be nice!.

Here are a few pictures from my Europe trip. I might post more but we'll see...I SO miss the art museums!:).

I miss the mountains:)

Mountains make me SO happy!

Me at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, Germany

         Listening about my favorite artist Albrecht Durer 

Chestnuts everywhere:)

Just goofing around:)

Beautiful sites in Venice, Italy 

The Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna Austria(my favorite museum since I was a kid!)

Me! Enjoying the art at Kunsthistorisches Museum

My room in Slovakia...I got the Richard Gere room!!! Creepy!

Seven days to go!

I've got one week before Aaron and I go to Europe! am I excited? OH YEAH!!!, I have this feeling that we both need to get away for a bit, it's been a crazy 2 years of lots and lots of work and it's exciting to just go and relax and hike and just open our eyes to the world, very much needed.
I also decided I want to have a little art journal to take with me, I don't want to be carrying loads of art supplies(mainly cause I want to buy them all haha). My goal is to paint while I'm on vacation as well as for the future, just painting whenever I'm out, document whats around me...in a way just teaching me to slow down and look at whats around me, take in the beauty of the world...especially now since we are all so consumed with are cell phones and computers.
Here's what I'm bringing!

Not a lot, but that's how I'd like to keep it, I can only imagine what art supplies I can get there...even though I can get them here it's just nice to know that I got these paints in Austria or Italy...you get the picture:).
So here is what I have, a sea sponge...for cleaning brushes and adding effects to my work(yeah double duty!)
I got a travel Cotman case...no need for the professional paints here...and just in case I'm in the airport and they want to throw this away...you never know these days:). My micron pen, a mechanical pencil and eraser and a water brush. A super tiny bag and journal...not a watercolour journal but it does the trick:).

Now since I was talking about sketchbooks I just received a new one recently:) Made by Dragons Den, they are now making leather works with my artwork on them! I will have more designs coming out in the New year and they will have a website coming out soon!!!

Based off my painting "Dragons Hoard" I love it! can't wait to fill it up with some new sketches as well:).

Here's a sketch I've been working on recently.

I'll probably start painting here when I get back from my trip as well as some other sketches!.
Alright I'm off to pack:)

Royal Medieval Faire

My last outdoor show of the year!!!! come and join me:)
http://www.royalmedievalfaire.org/
It's going to be sunny and cool, Fall is in the air!:)

The Lost Machine

I just finished a new book which I got from my friend Richard A. Kirk who is also an amazing artist.
I thought I should mention it here on my little blog, because I LOVED it! and just had to share!.

The Lost Machine is a novella written and illustrated by Richard a.Kirk
Here's a little about the book taken from the site, because no matter how hard I try the description is way better from the site then anything I could ever write...basically all I can say is that I absolutely adore this book! it's one of those novels that is so descriptive, it's so easy to see it in your mind and you just can't put it down.
From the Lost Machine page:


In a wasteland ravaged by plague, Lumsden Moss steps out of a decaying prison. Armed with a satchel of yellowed notebooks containing the fragile memories of five murdered children, he is determined to track down and confront their killer. Lumsden accompanied by a stranger, begins a long journey to the vast City of Steps where he is forced to confront the horrors of the past and present.

“A crow, chased by smaller birds, rose from a wind sculpted tree. Twisted strands of grass emerged from the snow and rattled against the crust, but it was a person standing in the yard that caught his attention and set his heart racing. Moss looked over his shoulder. Going back inside was unthinkable. Seeing that the gates were loose, the locking mechanism brutalized, he shoved them outward. The dry hinges juddered, showering the bricks with rust that looked like flakes of dried blood.”

What Richard has succeeded in doing here is to draw a dark,strangely beautiful world—a world uniquely his own (which I would love to see more of by the way)... He has made his places real and his people breath.

Mike Mignola, award-winning creator/writer/artist of Hellboy

I can't wait till Richards new book comes out, So if your looking for a new book to check out, have a look at The Lost Machine:)

You can purchase the book here:Purchase The Lost Machine

Richard A. Kirk website(his amazing artworks!): http://www.richardakirk.com